A slow smile spreads across his face. Jasper might be a romantic by the look of it. ‘Well, normally I’d say let nature take its course, but we’re only on the train for a couple more days and then the hotel for three nights. There’s not much time, is there? Barry will return to Australia and Princess to one of her many homes abroad, so it’s not likely they’ll bump into each other.’
‘Right. But how do we convince her that he won’t keel over and die if she pursues a relationship with him?’
Jasper rubs his chin. ‘We have to get the curse reversed.’
My forehead furrows. ‘You don’t really believe she’s cursed, do you?’
‘I’ve heard weirder on my travels, haven’t you?’ I acknowledge that with a nod. Jasper continues. ‘It’s more that Princess fully believes in it so in order for her to give her heart away again she has to fully trust that the curse is fixed.’
‘You’re a genius.’ Whether she’s cursed or not, we need to take her beliefs seriously. She’s got a lot of love to give. Why can’t she enjoy time with a companion or partake in a full-blown love affair? ‘Between us, I’ve been doing a little digging into it. And it turns out there is a solution for those who believe they’ve been cursed.’
Jasper’s eyes go wide. ‘Really?’
‘Really. I found some people online who deal with such a thing. Perhaps I’ll reach out to them?’
‘Sure. Why not?’
Sabrina returns, hobbling slightly. ‘The Christmas dance battle is on in an hour and I hope you don’t mind but I registered you as a team.’
I dance about as well as I walk in heels. Badly.
Princess claps her hands, face lighting up. ‘A dance battle, you say? Yes, please! What’s the prize?’
‘Bragging rights. There are Christmas t-shirts to wear. Each table has a design made to match the song you’re given.’
‘What’s our song?’ I gulp. Please be something gentle and slow, like ‘Away in a Manger’.
Sabrina giggles. ‘It’s a song that’s been slightly amended to “Jingle Ladies”. There’s, um, tassels on the jingly bits.’
‘The jingly bits?’ I’m not loving this new development.
She points to her chest.
‘Ah.’
‘I’m not usually a fan of cheap polyester fabrics but I can make an exception for a dance battle if the prize is bragging rights – that’s something that money can’t buy, am I right?’ Princess is jumping out of her skin while the rest of us are a little more lacklustre with our excitement. ‘Am I right?’ her guttural tone suggests we better agree with her or else. Tiger Mum is back and we quickly nod, knowing refusal is futile. ‘Gather round,’ Princess orders while she brings up Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’ on YouTube. Oh no, that’s not a slow song at all! ‘Let’s figure out our routine. Jasper, you’ll be up front middle.’
‘Why me?’
‘Because you’re gorgeous,’ Karen says, rolling her eyes as if he should know why. ‘And quite honestly, their eyes will be out on stalks staring at you – is there any gyrating in the routine?’ She turns to Princess with a suggestive eyebrow raise.
‘There can be.’
‘We’ll leave that to Jasper,’ Karen says decisively.
‘I’ll only do it if Aubrey does it.’
I gasp. ‘Why me?’
‘You’re also gorgeous, so we’re covering all bases. And don’t even think of snatching this victory away from Princess.’
I promptly close my mouth against the eleventy-seven protestations that sit on the tip of my tongue. But then it dawns on me – he thinks I’m gorgeous, or is that a lie to get me to take the heat off him? ‘I’m really not much of a dancer.’
‘Don’t make the Tiger Mum roar,’ Karen says, challenge flaring in her eyes.
‘Fiiiiine.’ There’s no way in hell I’m gyrating. I’ll simply tell them in the heat of the moment it slipped my mind.
19
